Thermal protective sleeve for a drinking cup

ABSTRACT

An improved thermal protective sleeve is disclosed. The inventive sleeve is for use with drink cups including disposable drink cups for holding hot liquids. The inventive sleeve may be used in the conventional manner of thermal sleeves or it may be manipulated into a handle. The handle allows a user to hold a cup containing hot liquid in a manner that protects the user&#39;s hand in a situation where the liquid is so hot that holding the cup normally would be uncomfortable or dangerous.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to beverage cup holders. More specifically, the invention relates to thermal protective sleeves for beverage cups.

2. Description of Related Art

Disposable drink cups are often made of thin paper. Being thin, they readily pass heat from a hot drink, such as coffee, tea or hot chocolate, through to the hand of the person carrying the cup. Previously, a second cup was used on the outside of the cup containing the hot drink. However, this was quite wasteful. Eventually a smaller thermal protective sleeve became widely used instead of a second cup

Current thermal protective sleeves 102 slide onto the outside of a disposable drink cup 101 containing a hot drink, as shown in FIG. 1. They work by attempting to insulate the holder's hand from the heat emanating through the cup 101 from the hot liquid contained inside. Due to the constant demand to reduce costs, current disposable beverage cups as well as current thermal protective sleeves are being made with less and less material. This reduces the insulation properties of both and leads to cups of hot liquid being uncomfortably hot to hold despite the thermal sleeve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an elongated sheet of material has each end fastened together in the shape of a ring. The ring is made so that a first portion is partially separable from a second portion in such a manner that the first portion can be folded back and used as a handle while the second portion is used to hold a cup.

These and other features of the present invention will be described in more details below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a prior art sleeve slid onto a cup.

FIGS. 2A-2C depict three embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a sleeve in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a sleeve in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top down view in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known elements have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

When a coffee or other hot drink is initially served is it usually very hot, often too hot to drink at first and possibly too hot to comfortably hold in a bare hand. The use of a traditional thermal sleeve is not always sufficient to protect the hand of the person holding the drink. What is needed is a thermal sleeve that can protect the user's hand in the traditional manner, but also protect the user when the drink is too hot to handle comfortably and/or safely. The inventive sleeve may be used as a conventional sleeve, but it may also be manipulated into a handle such that the holder's hand is protected from the heat of the liquid contained in the cup.

The inventive sleeve may be made from a number of different materials. Appropriate materials simply need to be able to be manipulated into a ring and fastened in that position as well as partially separated to form a handle as explained below and shown in the attached figures. Some examples of appropriate material are corrugated cardboard, paper or plastic.

FIGS. 2A-2C show a few different shapes of the material before it is connected together in a ring. FIG. 2A shows where the material is in a trapezoid shape, which further helps to create a sleeve that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom to better fit the shape of the cup. FIG. 2B shows where the material is more of an elongated oval shape. FIG. 2C shows where the material is asymmetrical. It is important to note that these are just examples of some possible shapes. Other shapes are possible, including irregular or asymmetrical shapes as well as other symmetrical shapes such as a rectangle. The material is curled onto itself into a ring. There are many ways that the ends may be connected. For example, they may be simply glued. FIGS. 2A-2C show a perforation 201 running along most of the length of the sheet of material.

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the inventive thermal sleeve 300 after the material has been connected together in the ring shape. Unlike a traditional sleeve, the inventive sleeve has a perforation 301 running along the majority of the length of the sleeve 300. The perforation 301 divides the sleeve 300 into a bottom portion 302 and a top portion 303. The perforation 301 does not run the entire length of the ring, but rather leaves the top 303 and bottom 302 portions connected at one end after the perforation 301 has been separated. Where the top 303 and bottom 302 portions remain connected may be reinforced with a reinforced connector 304. The reinforced connector 304 may simply be an extra layer of the same material making up the sleeve 300 or it may be a different type of material all together. For example, the sleeve 300 may be made of corrugated cardboard and the reinforced connector 304 may be made of corrugated cardboard or plastic.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the inventive sleeve after the top 303 and bottom 302 portions have been separated at the perforation 301 and the top portion 303 has been folded away from the bottom portion 302. Again, the top 303 and bottom 302 portions remain connected and may be reinforced at a reinforced connector 304. The bottom portion 302 is then slid onto the cup 401 and the top portion 303 can be held in the user's hand as a handle, thus keeping the user from being harmed when the liquid in the cup is too hot. The top portion 303 may be squeezed together to more easily be used as a handle, as shown in FIG. 5. While this example uses the top portion as the handle and the bottom portion around the cup, it is possible for these roles to be reversed and the bottom portion used as a handle and the top portion used to hold the cup.

While the invention has been described in relation to a sleeve for use with a disposable cup, it is important to note that the cup itself may be different than described above. For example, the cup need not be disposable and need not be made of paper/cardboard. The inventive sleeve may be used with glass or plastic cups, for example, and the cups may be reusable. Additionally, while the invention is described above in the context of a hot liquid, the invention may be used for cups containing other types of liquids.

The various aspects, features, embodiments or implementations of the invention described above can be used alone or in various combinations. The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the written description and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the invention should not be limited to the exact construction and operation as illustrated and described. Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A beverage cup sleeve comprising: an elongated sheet of material formed into a ring by coupling together two opposing ends of the sheet, wherein the sheet is partially separable along a length of the sheet such that a first portion of the ring may be folded away from a second portion of the ring, wherein the second portion of the ring slides over and holds a cup and wherein the first portion of the ring may be used as a handle to hold second portion and the cup.
 2. The beverage cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein the elongated sheet is shaped such that when formed into the ring there is a narrow end of the ring and a wide end of the ring.
 3. The beverage cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein a point where the first portion of the ring and the second portion of the ring are connected is reinforced with a reinforced connector.
 4. The beverage cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is corrugated cardboard.
 5. The beverage cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is plastic.
 6. The beverage cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein the two ends of the sheet are coupled together using glue.
 7. The beverage cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein the sheet is partially separable by tearing along a perforation. 